Rainbow flag
The rainbow flag has been a symbol for LGBT people since the 1970s. it originated in California. Originally it had eight stripes, but it now normally has six, representing the diversity of the LGBT communities.
The different stripes are sometimes reckoned to have symbolic meaning:
- red (representing "life")
- orange (representing "healing")
- yellow (representing "sunlight")
- green (representing "nature")
- blue (representing "art")
- purple (or violet; representing "spirit").
The original version also had also a "hot pink" stripe representing "sexuality", and an indigo stripe representing "harmony".[1]
The rainbow flag has given rise to a number of variants for different sections of the LGBT communities.
In January 2019 Manchester Pride announced that they would be promoting a variant of the flag with black and brown stripes to symbolise the struggles of queer people of colour. This had a mixed reception.[2]
'Progress' Pride flag
In June 2018 designer Daniel Quasar released a redesign incorporating elements from both the Philadelphia flag and trans pride flag to bring focus on inclusion within the 'Pride' movement. The flag design immediately went viral on social media, prompting worldwide coverage in news outlets and much dislike.[3][4][5] While retaining the common six-stripe rainbow design as a base, the "Progress" variation adds a chevron along the hoist that features black, brown, light blue, pink, and white stripes to bring those communities (marginalized people of color, trans individuals, and those living with HIV/AIDS and those who have been lost) to the forefront; "the arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made."[6] Many LGBT people dislike the new flag and stick to the rainbow flag.
In 2025 a lesbian activist awarded an MBE was found guilty of criminal damage to an ‘Intersex-Inclusive’ Pride flag – after cutting out the triangle section. Clare Dimyon sliced out the triangular part of the flag which was hung by the door of Stanford Avenue Methodist Church in Brighton [7].
See also
References
- ↑ "Symbols" (dead link; Archived version from Lambda GLBT Community Services as at may 2014).
- ↑ "Should the Pride Flag Be Updated", myGwork. (Archived as at 18 January 2019).
- ↑ Trans, QPOC Inclusive Pride Flag Campaign Going Viral newnownext.com.
- ↑ This graphic designer has revamped the Pride flag to make it more inclusive PinkNews.
- ↑ Will Everyone Feel Included With Artist's New Pride Flag? The Advocate.
- ↑ "Progress" A PRIDE Flag Reboot Kickstarter.
- ↑ Lesbian awarded MBE charged with criminal damage to progress ‘pride flag’ https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/lesbian-awarded-mbe-charged-with-criminal-damage-to-progress-pride-flag/ar-AA1yB7IW (Accessed 9 February 2025)